A kitten who was rescued from under a porch, found his courage with the help of another cat who needed a buddy.
A short-haired tabby was found under a porch in Dorset, Ontario, Canada. Some Good Samaritans heard his cries and located him under the stairs.
The kitten was very afraid of people but so hungry that he couldn’t resist the food that he was offered. His finders were able to secure him and bring him to their local rescue, Dorset Rescue Kittens, for help.
The little tabby named Scruffy was very scared and tried to hide and avoid human contact. He was taken into foster care, bidding farewell to life on the streets. He would no longer have to scrounge around for food or spend another day outside.
Slowly but surely, Scruffy started to learn to trust, but he was still very skittish. The rescue wanted to pair him up with another kitten, and knew they had one that would be a great fit for him.
A month prior to Scruffy’s arrival, a long-haired tabby named Maple was rescued along with seven other kittens from a large feral cat colony in Haliburton.
The long-haired beauty was very shy and never truly came out of her shell, while other kittens were getting adopted, one by one.
“Maple was very standoffish and couldn’t piece together that humans were friends,” Cailey Seymour, the founder of Dorset Rescue Kittens, told us.
She ended up being alone, so the rescue decided to bring her to Scruffy. When Maple came out of her carrier, the two tabbies instantly connected — it was love at first sight.
Maple who would take refuge in a new environment, went behind the toilet to hide. Scruffy followed right behind her and stayed by her side, keeping her company.
The kittens were still afraid and unsure, but having each other, side by side, brought a sense of calmness that they desperately needed. Scruffy slowly began showing Maple around their room, and Maple felt assured following his lead.
Within a week, their confidence grew dramatically and their bond really blossomed.
Not only did they explore around the house with their tails held high, but also they became increasingly interested in their people, and even sought attention from them.
“They turned into the sweetest, cuddliest, and the most affectionate kittens,” Cailey shared with us.
“They loved each other and quickly learned to love their foster parents, the dog and the rabbits in the house.”
The kittens bolstered each other’s courage, and were inseparable from the start. “They were completely meant to be. They both went from terrified, hissing kittens to loving, sweet, purring house kittens.”
All of the kitties at the rescue come from feral cat situations. It took the foster parents a month to win over Scruffy and Maple with a lot of patience and their favorite cat treats.
The tabbies came around and started craving pets and affection from their humans. “They slept in the bed all night and followed us around all day.”
“I was laying in bed (one night) wondering why the kittens weren’t cuddling me as they usually did at this time of night,” Cailey shared.
“Turns out, they were in a kitten pretzel. Maple’s hind legs were wrapped around Scruffy and her front end was draped over his chest.”
After many weeks in foster care, the two best friends were ready to find a place of their own. Cailey knew that they had to stay together as they were a packaged deal.
“We love them very much and are happy to continue giving them everything they need until the right home comes along.”
A couple came across the bonded pair and was instantly smitten. After reaching out to the rescue, they turned out to be the perfect match. Maple and Scruffy were adopted as a pair by the lovely family, and their dream came true together.
“Their adopters spent some time hanging out with the kittens at our house before taking them home, and we made the process as minimally stressful as possible,” Cailey shared.
The kittens, now renamed Corey and Topanga, are loving their VIP life as spoiled indoor cats.
“Our two fur babies are so happy and warmed up with no time at all. We all love morning cuddles and playing pass with Ping Pong balls. The two of them are so much better with meeting new people and even Corey will let you pick him up now,” the kittens’ forever family shared.
“If they aren’t following us close behind, they are play-fighting or cuddling in their cat tree. We really couldn’t be happier together.”
